Autonomous mining dump trucks in Russia now operate on a 5G network
In a groundbreaking development, TD Tech, a subsidiary of Huawei, has presented a 5G CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) designed for industrial networks. This equipment has been installed on a remote control truck, marking a significant step towards the integration of 5G technology in the mining industry.
The pilot project, located at the open-pit mine of SUEK coal company in Khakassia, Russia, is testing 5G as part of an autonomous haulage system developed by Zyfra. The system is being used with 130 tons BELAZ-7513R autonomous mining dump trucks, and the results have been impressive.
The robotic dump trucks have increased freight transport production rates by up to 30% due to reduced non-technological downtimes. Moreover, the average speed of these robotic dump trucks during travel has increased, resulting in approximately 20% more movements per shift.
One of the key benefits of this 5G implementation is the minimization of delays and significant increase in accuracy of the movement of gigantic machines, enhancing control safety. All video streams from high resolution cameras mounted on the dump trucks' perimeter are being received by the information processing center for real-time equipment control.
The wireless 5G network, with a length of 1.5 km, is deployed on Huawei equipment. The 5G technology tests are utilizing the whole functionality of the robotic center. The network is operating in non-standalone mode, with a width of 100 MHz operating channel.
The 5G base stations provided by Huawei ensure a more stable connection, minimized delay in control signals, and are not affected by disturbances created by various active Wi-Fi networks. This reliability has been demonstrated in robotic equipment application tasks at open-pit mining sites.
The industrial application of 5G is steadily establishing its position in digital transformation for various industries. The implementation of 5G networks at open-pit mining enterprises offers opportunities for advanced solutions for industrial safety, dispatch, and monitoring.
While other data transfer standards can also be used for scaling and launching robotic equipment, the quality of service and its approximate value to the applied robot technology economy should be considered. As the pilot project at the open-pit mine continues for several weeks, the mining industry is poised to be transformed by 5G, allowing for the automation of dangerous tasks and increasing efficiency and safety.
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